My dogs love to eat, they are definitely motivated by food. So sometimes as a treat, I would give them a rawhide to chew on. I learned during a post operative visit to my dogs doctor after he had MPL (medial patella luxation) surgery that the NUMBER ONE surgery he performed was removing masses of rawhide and “Greenies” from dogs intestinal tracks. So I knew that I could not ever allow my dogs to actually eat the rawhide, only allow them to chew for brief periods of time. I would also cut off the soft pieces of rawhide so that my dogs would not choke on them. I did some research the other day about rawhide and I was horrified about what I found.

Rawhide treats contain the following:

Arsenic based product used as a preservative- Antibiotics that fight against good bacteria in your dogs intestines – Salmonella bacteria from meat derived products – Insecticides – Lead – Lime and Bleach.

These disgusting, deadly ingredients are also contained in Pig Ears and Cow Hooves. Cow hooves are even more dangerous because their sharp jagged fragments break your dogs teeth and can also can tear the interior intestinal wall causing immediate death.

100% Natural Cotton Rope is a Safe Alternative to Rawhide.

Also be extremely cautious of ALL dog toys, treats or food labeled “Made in China”. I avoid these products completely. They use toxic materials and ingredients in their products. I purchase toys only labeled “Made in the USA” and purchase from the baby or infant section of stores. These baby products are made non-toxic and are regulated to be 100% safe for children, so you know they will be safe for your dog. Just keep an eye on your dog if he/she is a strong chewer. If so, purchase 100% Natural Cotton Rope dog chews made with only natural dyes. These ropes are perfect for strong chewers and also naturally cleans, flosses and removes tartar from your dogs teeth. As a treat in the summer, immerse rope in water and freeze. Your dog will absolutely LOVE the cool and refreshing feeling of nibbling on the frozen rope. Plus the ropes are machine washable and if some cotton particles are eaten, the cotton is completely digestible. Please avoid any other material like Poly, because your dog will not be able to digest those other materials.

Rocco Jet after spinal cord surgery.

In my attempts to only give my dogs safe, natural dog chews, I purchased Drs. Foster and Smith Healthy Snax Sweet Potato Treats thinking that these would be perfect. Unfortunately because these treats are chewy and flexible they pose a huge choking threat. My little dog Rocco Jet, unfortunately proved this when he almost died from choking on this treat. The sweet potato became lodged in his throat and in his heroic efforts to try and save his own life he injured his spine causing such extreme damage that he needed immediate surgery. We were able to remove the sweet potato treat and save his life, but he was near death and in shock and now with an injured spine. We thank God everyday that little Rocco Jet is a fighter and he had such strong will to live by fighting so hard to survive. We were told by the neurosurgeon that most dogs don’t fight and don’t survive. During his recovery I contacted Drs. Foster and Smith and informed them in great detail about what happened to my dog from eating their sweet potato treats. I also tried to post a message on their “Customer Reviews” to other dog owners to just be extremely careful when giving these treats to their dogs and provided a brief informative account of what happened to Rocco Jet. Unfortunately, Drs. Foster and Smith told me that they felt that the sweet potato treats did not pose a choking treat to dogs and that they would not post my review.

Please use caution with any dog treat or toy that you purchase for your dogs and make sure you are always watching your dog (like a hawk) while they are chewing on any treat or toy.

Thank you for sharing your story. We have a 9 month old Frenchie, in an effort to provide safe ,holistic, natural treats we have been avoiding “junk”, rawhide and greenies… We got sweet potato treats (vatalife, made in Canada) and he has been choking a lot eating them. They seem to be too chewy/ soft yet hold their shape. I tried to google to see if anyone else has had problems with these type if products and could not find anything. Thank you for posting your story, I hope your little one is on the mend and doing well!

I am so sorry to hear that your little Frenchie experienced any choking at all because of a dog treat. The problem with dried sweet potatoes is that they are too chewy, it’s like us eating taffy the only difference is . . . dogs cannot reach inside their mouths with their paws to dislodge the treat – the treat just keeps getting more and more trapped in the back of their mouths and they choke! It’s horrifying. Any kind of chewy treat like this is dangerous, so steer clear (and tell all your friends). Thank you for your kind words for little Rocco Jet, though it was a very, VERY difficult time during his recovery – he is finally doing well again. We are just so lucky he was such a fighter and didn’t give up. Even now though, he panics if he gets a dog food kernal stuck between his back teeth and gums. So needless to say, feeding times are still a little tense.